Rationale-It is known that dopamine (DA) D1 receptor activation stimulates striatal nitric oxide (NO) synthesis, whereas D2 receptor activation produces the opposite effect. However, the mechanisms involved in the dopaminergic modulation of NO synthase (NOS) are unknown.Objectives-We hypothesized that the effects of DA on striatal NO signaling are dependent on ongoing glutamatergic activation of NOS. Therefore, the current study examined whether intact NMDA receptor activation is required for the dopaminergic modulation of NOS activity.
Methods-We assessed the impact of pharmacological manipulations of D1, D2 and NMDA receptors on NOS activity in the dorsal striatum and motor cortex using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry. Drugs were administered systemically to conscious animals and NADPH-d staining was quantified in these regions using ex vivo measurements of tissue optical density.Results-Administration of the neuronal NOS inhibitor N G -propyl-L-arginine (NPA), the D1 receptor antagonist SCH 23390, and the NMDA receptor antagonist 3-phosphonopropylpiperazine-2-carboxylic acid (CPP) all attenuated staining selectively in the striatum. Administration of the D2 receptor agonist quinpirole decreased NADPH-d staining in both the striatum and cortex. Striatal NADPH-d staining elicited by administration of the D1 receptor agonist SKF 81297 or the D2 receptor antagonist eticlopride was attenuated by NPA, SCH 23390, and CPP pretreatment. Quinpirole pretreatment also abolished the facilitatory effect of SKF 81297.Conclusions-These studies show for the first time that ongoing NMDA receptor activation is necessary for modulation of striatal NOS activity by both facilitatory (D1 receptor activation) and inhibitory (D2 receptor activation) dopaminergic signaling mechanisms. Keywords dopamine; nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase; NMDA receptor; striatum; cortex Nitric oxide (NO) is a key modulator of neuronal activity in the dorsal striatum and is thought to play an important role in complex processes including control of motor function and motivated behavior (Prast and Philippu 2001;West et al. 2002;Del Bel et al. 2005). NO is synthesized within medium-sized aspiny interneurons by type-1/neuronal NO synthase (nNOS). Striatal nNOS expressing interneurons and their processes are readily labeled using nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemical staining techniques (Hope et al.